The chronicle of a life split between urban Manhattan and rural Montana.

Saturday, January 7, 2017

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Twice as nice
I'm a homebody. An interior decor addict,
I tend to focus on my surroundings. Since
moving in with Frank almost twenty two
years ago, our many homes have been the
manifestation of a shared life. And as it
is with our partnership each compilation
of our diverse perspectives has created an
environment that is rather delightful. Over
the years our tastes have evolved from the
traditional to more modern to a bit eclectic.
However what hasn't changed is our need
to transform whatever space we're in. And
make it a statement of who we truly are.

Back to the future
As previously announced, I'm about to return
to Manhattan after a three year sojourn here
in rural Montana. Much of that time has been
spent making our 1917 home exactly that -
our primary and longterm residence. Part of
that process has been combining the many
contents of multiple residences into a single
abode. Which has led us to the conclusion
that we've too much of a good thing. And
so now, I'm packing and shipping quite a
bit of this and that to our new apartment in
Manhattan. Meaning that once again I'll be
half here... half there for the interim.

Less is more
These last few years have definitely been
a learning experience. The end result of
which has been strong confirmation that
neither of us need nor want more "stuff."
Thus when searching for new home in
Manhattan we were resolutely committed
to renting a furnished abode. All of which
includes furniture, artwork, and out fitted
kitchen, baths, and bedrooms. For many
the idea of living with a stranger's things
is disconcerting. However we consider it
FREEDOM. Just like living in a hotel,
one can simply check out ANYTIME!

Bit by bit
This our third time is again a charm. While
it may seem odd that two home-aholics can
anonymously move into somebody's space,
we'll quickly make it ours. Most of what
makes one's home special are those little
touches. The nuances that give one's space
personality. Thus for the past few weeks I've
been packing up some special things that'll
immediately put our stamp on the joint.
That includes china, silver, linens, framed
family photos, and some choice tchotchkes.
No shopping required as we have more
than enough to go around and then some.

Extra special
Realizing that we could remove a plethora
of stuff from our home without any visible
impact or obvious deficit was shocking.
We had a treasure trove of goodies hidden
throughout the house. Proof that we need
no more! Enough is enough. Therefore the
process of doing up our new apartment in
Manhattan is a bold exercise in recycling.
I'm trying to make our home away from
home truly our home without buying a
thing. If we own it, we're shipping it out
there. And if we don't, we'll do without.
Now is the time to invest in our future...

Experience required
The next several years will create many
new memories. However the last thing
we need nor want is additional baggage.
Hence I'm going to try to approach life
from a different perspective. Much like
most boomers we long ago satiated our
need to achieve. Thus instead of buying
more possessions, we hope to consider
this phase of life as an investment in
new experiences. Don't get me wrong,
we'll still shop. However we plan to
spend most of our time at the theater,
museums, and other cultural pursuits.

Room for growth
Obviously we've been there... done that. Yet
in truth we both feel that we haven't seen or
done it all. If I've learned anything while out
in the middle of nowhere, it's that memories
are one's most valuable asset. Therefore our
goal is to live in the here and now. Which of
course includes a continued connection and
commitment to Lewistown, Montana. As in
the past, Frank will straddle both worlds on
a regular basis. Continuing to care for and
support his ninety eight year old father plus
his garden and our new landscaping. Now,
that's the life isn't it?

Ready and waiting...
However or wherever each of us live, the
most important thing is to actually enjoy
life. For some of us it took a long time to
reach that conclusion. I still enjoy all of
the trappings of a comfortable existence.
However possessions are rarely worth all
of their added responsibility. What's most
valuable are those aspects of our daily
existence that enrich. Whether it's a chat
with one's barista or lunch with a friend
or that kiss you when you finally arrive
home after a long day. Those are what
I can't get enough of. How about you?!